I Dig Sports
NEW YORK -- Brewers pitcher Nestor Cortes had a return to Yankee Stadium to forget on Saturday.
A day later, Cortes reflected on allowing five of the Yankees' team-record nine homers and lasting two-plus innings in a 20-9 loss.
"It's not a good feeling," Cortes said. "So obviously didn't go the way I planned."
Cortes left the ballpark after the game without speaking to reporters in what the Brewers said was a miscommunication. He was at his locker about two hours before Sunday's series finale.
Cortes gave up homers on his first three pitches to Paul Goldschmidt, Cody Bellinger and Aaron Judge. He also allowed homers to Austin Wells and Anthony Volpe and was pulled after throwing 64 pitches.
The Brewers acquired Cortes on Dec. 13 from the Yankees for former closer Devin Williams, who is eligible for free agency. The left-hander, who became a fan favorite for his unique leg kicks, sported platinum blond hair and got a nice reception from the crowd in baseline introductions on Thursday.
"Obviously I spent a few years over there, and I was able to be on their side and not have to face them, but I think this comes with the territory of being a major league pitcher," Cortes said. "You never know where you're going to end up and at some point, you're going to face somebody you know or somebody that's close to you and it just happened to be yesterday."
A 36th-round pick of the Yankees in 2013, Cortes went 33-21 with a 3.80 ERA in 86 starts and 49 relief appearances over seven seasons with the Yankees, Orioles and Mariners. He is eligible for arbitration and also can become a free agent after next season.
An All-Star in 2022, Cortes was 9-10 with a 3.77 ERA in 31 appearances and 30 starts last season. He missed the final month of the regular season with a flexor strain in his pitching elbow, missed the AL Division Series and League Championship Series and allowed Freddie Freeman's game-ending grand slam in Game 1 of the World Series in Los Angeles.
After allowing the first game-ending grand slam in World Series history, Cortes stood at his locker stall for several minutes answering numerous questions.
The new torpedo bats drew attention when the New York Yankees hit a team-record nine homers that traveled a combined 3,695 feet on Saturday.
Using a strikingly different model in which wood is moved lower down the barrel after the label and shapes the end a little like a bowling pin, Paul Goldschmidt, Cody Bellinger, Austin Wells, Anthony Volpe and Jazz Chisholm Jr. homered in New York's 20-9 rout of the Milwaukee Brewers.
"That's just trying to be the best we can be," manager Aaron Boone said Sunday. "That's one of the things that's gotten pointed out. I say to you guys all the time, we're trying to win on the margins, and that shows up in so many different ways."
Major League Baseball has relatively uncomplicated bat rules, stating under Rule 3.02: "The bat shall be a smooth, round stick not more than 2.61 inches in diameter at the thickest part and not more than 42 inches in length. The bat shall be one piece of solid wood." It goes on to state there may be a cupped indentation up to 1 inches in depth, 2 inches wide and with at least a 1-inch diameter, and experimental models must be approved by MLB.
Former Yankees infielder Kevin Smith posted online Saturday that Aaron Leanhardt, a former Yankees front-office staffer who now works for the Miami Marlins, developed the torpedo barrel to bring more mass to a bat's sweet spot.
"You're going up with a weapon that can be better," Smith wrote. "Your just misses could be clips, your clips could be flares, and your flares could [be] barrels. And it was true, it's fractions of an inch on the barrel differentiating these outcomes."
Goldschmidt, batting leadoff for the first time, opened with a 413-foot homer off Nestor Cortes, and Bellinger followed with a 451-foot drive that initially didn't register with Statcast. Aaron Judge, using a bat with a conventional shape, hit a 468-foot shot that made the Yankees the first team to homer on each of a game's first three pitches, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Bellinger first was presented with the torpedo-shape concept in a batting practice session last season with the Chicago Cubs but did not use it in a game. He was given a more advanced version during spring training this year.
"I started swinging this one in spring or before spring, kind of early on, and I was like, 'Oh it feels good,'" Bellinger said. "It was an ounce lighter than the one I was swinging, but I think the way the weight was distributed felt really good."
Bellinger, the 2019 National League MVP with the Los Angeles Dodgers, switched from a maple Louisville Slugger to a birch bat and cited MLB's 2010 rule change narrowing the maximum diameter from 2.75 inches.
"I'm usually a maple guy, but birch for me allows me to get the bigger barrel because I wasn't grandfathered in," Bellinger said. "So it's all within regulation. They made sure that before the season even started, knowing that I imagine at some point the way these bats look that it's probably going to get out at some point."
Volpe, who homered for the second straight game Saturday, began using the torpedo bat in spring training.
"The concept makes so much sense. I know I'm bought in," Volpe said. "The bigger you can have the barrel where you hit the ball, it makes sense to me."
Judge, who hit an American League-record 62 homers in 2022 and 58 last year en route to his second AL MVP award, didn't see a reason to experiment.
"The past couple of seasons kind of speak for itself," Judge said a day after his third career three-homer game. "Why try to change something?"
Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy said he knows a little about developing and designing bats from serving on the boards of two bat companies.
"Players are doing everything to try to get an edge today legally, and I think they should," Murphy said. "I think whatever is good for the offensive game is good for the game."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
High-scoring, high-entertainment running rugby is just what the Premiership "needs", according to Gloucester and Bristol after they shared 81 points and 13 tries at Kingsholm on Saturday.
Gloucester ran rampant in the West Country derby, scoring nine tries in a 53-28 win over the Bears.
Some have questioned if the quest for attacking flair is coming at a detriment to defence, but Bristol director of rugby of rugby Pat Lam said the style is bringing more fans to the game.
"I think you've just got to look at the Bristol crowd [against Exeter Chiefs] last week, the Gloucester crowd [on Saturday]," he told BBC Sport.
"They enjoyed the rugby, we're enjoying rugby. I'm pretty sure everyone's talking about these caterpillars [rucks], these box[-kicking] fests.
"The purists might not like it but it's not about the purists. It's about the young people, it's about people enjoying coming to games."
The match was played in front of a capacity crowd at Gloucester, and Lam added that attracting new fans is important for the future of the game.
"We sold out here, we had our second biggest crowd last week, our game against Bath [at the Principality Stadium in May], the crowd's building there," he said.
"People want to be entertained. Our game needs people coming to rugby. I'm pretty confident that Gloucester are going to continue selling out because they're playing great rugby.
"You're always going to get people complaining, but I would look more at the positives where people are loving and enjoying it particularly the kids, that's what I like because that's our future."
SEATTLE Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racings Cooper Webb delivered another gritty performance to nab his fourth win of the 2025 Monster Energy AMA Supercross season.
Webb grabbed the lead with less than a minute remaining on the race clock.
Battling down the final corner, Red Bull KTM Factory Racings Chase Sexton finished right behind Webb to take the second-place spot.
After a charge from back in the pack, Red Bull KTM Factory Racings Aaron Plessinger racked up his third podium of the year with a third-place finish at Lumen Field.
I really wanted that one. Me and Kenny [Roczen] were going back and forth, Webb said. Then Chase got both of us and yeah, it was time to go! I had to get there with Kenny, I got around him, and then it was game on. It was so gnarly. I wish people could get a POV of the track and the ruts and the lappers. That was one of the gnarliest tracks that Ive ever ridden and that was an absolute slugfest, two of the best guys right now going for it. You had to ride that fine line. He had that rhythm [line] that was a lot faster but I just kept charging and couldnt let him get two in a row, thats for sure. I want to give it up to the good Lord. These fans were awesome all night, we could hear them over our bikes Like I said, this is strictly business.
The 250SX class delivered non-stop action. After some early back-and-forth exchanges for the lead, Cole Davies pulled clear and kept the drama behind him all the way to the checkered flag.
The race delivered several intense battles that stretched for laps, including Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasakis Garrett Marchbanks fight to claim second place. Points leader Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racings Haiden Deegan recovered from an early crash to reach third place after thrilling battles with Red Bull KTM Factory Racings Julien Beaumer, who earned fourth, and Team Honda HRC Progressives Jo Shimoda who, crossed the checkered flag in fifth.
NEW EGYPT, N.J. There isnt much left to accomplish on Stewart Friesens big-block modified résumé. But he added a first Saturday night at New Egypt Speedway.
After passing two-time defending Super DIRTcar Series champion Mat Williamson on Lap 24, he dominated the final 52 laps to win the second annual Power in the Pines, earning his first Series win at the seven-sixteenths-mile oval.
Its awesome, Friesen said. Fred Vahlsing with Valco Wheels, who owns the track is a supporter of us and its cool. It feels good to get another win in Jersey.
We have a pretty thick notebook here. Theres stuff that works track to track to track, and you just have to make some small changes from there. We had a really good time trial, and it kind of set the tone for the night.
Friesen lined up beside Williamson, the SRI Performance and Stock Car Steel Pole Award winner, as the field took the green in the 75-lap Feature. Williamson gained the early advantage, pulling away from Friesen and Tanner Van Doren, who snuck by the No. 44 as they completed Lap 1.
Friesen led the first nine laps before the races first caution for Daniel Johnson, who stopped in Turns 3 and 4.
When the race resumed, Friesen snuck underneath Van Doren for second and set his sights on Williamson. The NASCAR Trucks Series star closed in on the Buzz Chew Chevrolet No. 88 and made his move once Money Mat clicked off Lap 23.
Williamson picked the middle lane as they drove into Turns 1 and 2, allowing Friesen room on the bottom. Thats when Friesen thundered down the backstretch, gaining momentum through the tracks dog leg, and passed Williamson as they entered Turns 3 and 4.
Despite several cautions in the races second half, Friesen went unchallenged to score the $7,500 victory, his 48th career series win.
With two track prep sessions throughout the night, Friesen said it became a guessing game of which tires were the best to use.
I think he was on a softer tire, and we went a little harder, Friesen said. We tried some stuff in the heat race, and it paid off. Then they did all the track prep, and we had an idea, but we werent sure which way it was going to go. It was a big guess. He guessed one way, and we guessed the other.
We really didnt touch it after the heat race at all. We waited for the track to come back to us, and it did. We were fortunate.
DIRTcar Nationals Big Gator champion Alex Yankowski crossed the line second, his third podium finish of the season.
Yankowski fell back to 13th early in the race before driving back through the field and passing Logan Watt for the runner-up position with eight laps go.
I was just kind of riding, Yankowski said. I drew eighth, and not only was it the worst pill, it was bad starting on the outside there on the original start. We just got some bad bounces, settled in, and started driving back up.
We went to Georgetown last night and got second and came here and got second. Its those, oh, we were so close kind of deals. I feel like were running good, and Im really proud of that.
Logan Watt, who made his Super DIRTcar Series debut on Saturday, rounded out the podium. The 16-year-old driver ran consistently in the top five the entire race, narrowly missing out on a runner-up finish.
I was just trying to stay smooth and save the tire, Watt said. The track was slick in the beginning of the night, and I figured it would take rubber toward the end. I just tried to stay smooth and consistent and hit my mark every lap.
It sucked on that late-race restart. I just slid up, and Alex got by me for second. It was just experience that got me. I have to get more experience, and the more experience I get, the better Ill be. Im really happy for our team.
Williamson fell back to fourth, and Louden Reimert, the races hard charger, finished fifth after starting 18th.
The finish:
Feature (75 Laps): 1. 44-Stewart Friesen[2]; 2. 84Y-Alex Yankowski[8]; 3. 4M-Logan Watt[4]; 4. 88-Mat Williamson[1]; 5. 58-Louden Reimert[18]; 6. 4-Anthony Perrego[10]; 7. 25-Erick Rudolph[13]; 8. 26-Ryan Godown[16]; 9. 91-Felix Roy[5]; 10. 70A-Alex Payne[12]; 11. 83X-Tim Sears Jr[9]; 12. 12-Darren Smith[11]; 13. 9S-Matt Sheppard[25]; 14. 35-Mike Mahaney[6]; 15. 98H-Jimmy Phelps[22]; 16. 27-Tanner Van Doren[3]; 17. 21A-Peter Britten[24]; 18. 15X-Justin Stone[20]; 19. 28-Michael Trautschold[15]; 20. 2-Jack Lehner[14]; 21. 99L-Larry Wight[26]; 22. (DNF) 26R-Corey Cormier[23]; 23. (DNF) 16X-Danny Creeden[21]; 24. (DNF) 20-David Schilling[7]; 25. (DNF) 304-Ricky Wegner Jr[19]; 26. (DNF) 14-CG Morey[28]; 27. (DNF) 27JR-Daniel Johnson[27]; 28. (DNF) 29-Garrett Krummert[17]
MAQUOKETA, Iowa Bobby Pierce held off Ricky Thornton Jr. for the second consecutive night to win Saturday nights Nippy 50 at Maquoketa Speedway.
Pierce earned $15,000 in the MARS Late Model Championship Series event. It was his eighth victory of the dirt late model season.
Pierce started the 50-lap event from the pole and was able to keep Thornton behind him down the stretch.
Brian Shirley, Garrett Alberson and Ryan Gusin completed the top five.
Thornton was the fast qualifier for the 44-car field with a 13.077-second lap.
The finish:
Bobby Pierce, Ricky Thornton Jr., Brian Shirley, Garrett Alberson, Ryan Gustin, Brandon Sheppard, Dennis Erb Jr., Shannon Babb, Jason Feger, Tony Jackson Jr., Bob Gardner, Dan Ebert, Ryan Unzicker, Chris Simpson, Mike Spatola, Daryn Klein, Derrick Stewart, Justin Duty, Gordy Gundaker, Allen Weisser, Chad Simpson, Dylan Thompson.
CASA GRANDE, Ariz. For the second week in a row, a Kasey Kahne Racing 1-2 finish led the way with Kubota High Limit Racing.
Like last time, it was Brad Sweets No. 49 taking the win over bossman Kasey Kahnes No. 9 extending the wait for what is the much-anticipated first-career national sprint car win for the popular Kahne.
The big difference this time was that Kahne controlled his own destiny and led the opening 10 laps before Sweet pounced on his team owner in lap traffic at Central Arizona Raceways Avanti Duel in the Desert.
Ultimately, Sweet led the final 15 laps and survived a slight scare in the closing laps as traffic allowed Kahne to narrow the margin of victory down to 0.384 seconds.
The win marked Sweets 12th overall trip to Whiskey Myers Victory Lane, tying him with Rico Abreu as the winningest driver in Kubota High Limit Racing history.
It was his second win of the season, putting him alongside Aaron Reutzel as the only repeat winners through six races.
Kahne matched his career-best runner-up result from a week ago with another second-place finish in the Kahne Screen Print, HendrickCars.com No. 9.
Rounding out the podium was Tyler Courtney aboard his Clauson-Marshall Racing, NOS Energy Drink No. 7bc.
The finish:
Feature (25 Laps): 1. 49-Brad Sweet[3]; 2. 9-Kasey Kahne[1]; 3. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[5]; 4. 87-Aaron Reutzel[4]; 5. 24-Rico Abreu[8]; 6. 26-Justin Peck[6]; 7. 21P-Robbie Price[2]; 8. 19-Brent Marks[7]; 9. 13-Daison Pursley[9]; 10. 14-Spencer Bayston[14]; 11. 21-Tanner Holmes[11]; 12. 88-Tanner Thorson[21]; 13. 24D-Danny Sams III[15]; 14. 5-Brenham Crouch[10]; 15. 7-Ashton Torgerson[24]; 16. 9R-Chase Randall[13]; 17. 19T-Colby Thornhill[18]; 18. 73-Ryan Bernal[19]; 19. 3-Kaleb Montgomery[22]; 20. 10-Dominic Gorden[16]; 21. 34-Sterling Cling[17]; 22. 17GP-Landon Crawley[23]; 23. 88W-Austin McCarl[12]; 24. 42-Sye Lynch[20]
WHEATLAND, Mo. Crown him. Cade Dillard took command when it mattered the most and the veteran Louisiana driver staked claim to the USMTS King of America XIV on Saturday night at Lucas Oil Speedway.
Dillard made the big move on a restart with 16 laps remaining, supplanting race-long leader Tanner Mullens, and went on to capture the $20,000 prize. It was the first King of America victory for Dillard, who said hes chased it for a long time.
This King of America is something Ive always wanted to win, Dillard said. Ive won a lot of big late model races, but I love coming back and getting to race in Mod races like this.
Mullens led the opening lap from his pole position as the field started three-wide, but it took only a lap for the first caution flag came out. The leader wasted little time opening a gap, as Mullens was two seconds clear of Jim Chisholm by lap 10 with Terry Phillips advancing into third.
The impressive drive by Mullens continued as the green-flag laps clicked away with the margin swelling to four seconds when the race hit the one-third mark on lap 20.
Mullens caught lapped traffic at that point just as Phillips took second away from Chisholm with Alex Williamson taking fourth from Dillard. On lap 23, Mullens 3.6-second lead over Phillips was wiped away as Steve Lavasseur slowed on the track to bring out a caution.
Chisholm swooped around Phillips on the restart to claim second. As those two mixed it up, Mullens took advantage to start rebuilding his lead as he was quickly about 12 car lengths clear of Chisholm.
Dustin Sorensen was the big mover of the race, climbing to fourth by lap 30 after starting 12th. But it was all Mullens at the front as he led Chisholm by 2.5 seconds as the field marked lap 40, though the seventh-starting Dillard made it into second by that point.
With Mullens dealing with lapped traffic, Dillard cut the gap to under two seconds when a lap-44 caution bunched the field.
Mullens selected the inside line for the restart it did not work. Dillard grabbed the lead on lap 45 with Chisholm also rolling past the race-long leader as the trio briefly were three wide. Dillard quickly opened a one-second lead by Chisholm and Mullens slipped to fourth behind Bobby Williams with 10 remaining.
Dillard, with a clear race track ahead, pulled away down the stretch and held off Chisholm to take the victory.
Dillard said his background of lots of long races during his career, in both modified and late model races, might have helped him as the race proceeded.
Just fortunate to be able to race like I have, with a lot of long runs, Dillard said. We had a really good car and were able to maintain on the bottom. When we got to second and picked the pace up a little bit, when that caution came out I was able to hit my marks just right and got a good run.
I know we went three-wide at one point and knew I had to shoot the gap at one point. I knew I could get out there and ride and keep it under me.
Williams, moving up from USRA B-Mods this season, was third with Sorensen finishing fourth and Mullens settling for fifth after dominating the first 44 laps.
Twenty-six drivers started the 60-lap feature with eight rows going three-wide and the final one two deep with provisional starters Joe Duvall and Jake ONeil.
Chad Clancy overtook J.C. Morton with 10 laps remaining and rolled to the $3,000 feature win for the Clear Creek Golf Cars USRA B-Mods.
Jon Sheets in fifth.
Rodney Schweizer grabbed the lead in the early going and held off some late charges and restarts following cautions for the OReilly Auto Parts USRA Stock Cars feature.
The finish:
Feature (60 laps): 1. 97-Cade Dillard[7]; 2. 24C-Jim Chisholm[3]; 3. 1B-Bobby Williams[4]; 4. 19-Dustin Sorensen[12]; 5. 02-Tanner Mullens[1]; 6. 20-Rodney Sanders[10]; 7. 2S-Stormy Scott[6]; 8. 65X-Carlos Ahumada Jr[16]; 9. 25-Joe Chisholm[11]; 10. 75-Terry Phillips[5]; 11. 21-Jacob Bleess[20]; 12. 712-Trevor Hughes[19]; 13. 15WX-Kale Westover[13]; 14. 2SS-Mark Smith[8]; 15. 12-Jason Hughes[22]; 16. 15W-Alex Williamson[2]; 17. 65-Tyler Davis[21]; 18. 21K-Kyle Brown[24]; 19. 10B-Brandon Givens[17]; 20. 5-Reece Solander[18]; 21. 8-Kyle Strickler[15]; 22. 88-Chad Wheeler[14]; 23. 17-Henry Chambers; 24. 91-Joe Duvall[25]; 25. 0J-Jake ONeil[26]; 26. 99L-Steve Lavasseur[23]; 27. 95-Keith Foss[9]
NHL playoff watch: Who will win the Atlantic Division crown?
Many playoff races are coming right down to the wire. And while the three top teams in the Atlantic Division are expected to qualify for the postseason, the order in which they'll finish remains a mystery.
What's at stake? The winner of the division draws a first-round matchup against a wild-card team -- likely the Ottawa Senators. The teams that finish second and third will square off with one another, with the No. 2 seed having home-ice advantage.
When Sunday's games begin, the Toronto Maple Leafs will be in the No. 1 spot, with 92 points in the standings. The Florida Panthers are second, having earned 91 standings points in one fewer game (72) than the Tampa Bay Lightning (73).
By season's end, if there is a tie in points, the first tiebreaker is regulation wins; currently, the Lightning hold the edge with 37, while the Leafs have 36 and the Panthers have 35.
Florida is the first of the three clubs in action next, as it will host the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, NHL Network). The Leafs continue their West Coast road trip by visiting the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday (8 p.m. ET, ESPN+), while the Lightning play Tuesday at the New York Islanders.
The Panthers have two games remaining against the Leafs (Wednesday in Toronto, April 8 in Sunrise) and one against the Lightning (April 15 in Tampa Bay). Toronto plays its last regular-season game against Tampa Bay on April 9 in Central Florida.
Overall, the Leafs have the toughest remaining strength of schedule of the three teams (opposing win percentage of 51.3%, 11th toughest in the league); the Panthers are next (49.5%, 21st), and the Lightning have the easiest road (47.6%, 25th).
Stathletes projects the Lightning to have the highest chances of winning the division (44.5%), followed by the Panthers (33.9%) and Leafs (21.6%).
Is that how everything will play out? Stay tuned.
There are less than three weeks left until April 17, and we'll help you track it all with the NHL playoff watch. As we traverse the final stretch, we'll provide details on all the playoff races, along with the teams jockeying for position in the 2025 NHL draft lottery.
Note: Playoff chances are via Stathletes.
Jump ahead:
Current playoff matchups
Today's schedule
Yesterday's scores
Expanded standings
Race for No. 1 pick
Current playoff matchups
Eastern Conference
A1 Toronto Maple Leafs vs. WC1 Ottawa Senators
A2 Florida Panthers vs. A3 Tampa Bay Lightning
M1 Washington Capitals vs. WC2 New York Rangers
M2 Carolina Hurricanes vs. M3 New Jersey Devils
Western Conference
C1 Winnipeg Jets vs. WC2 St. Louis Blues
C2 Dallas Stars vs. C3 Colorado Avalanche
P1 Vegas Golden Knights vs. WC1 Minnesota Wild
P2 Los Angeles Kings vs. P3 Edmonton Oilers
Sunday's games
Note: All times ET. All games not on TNT or NHL Network are available to stream on ESPN+ (local blackout restrictions apply).
Montreal Canadiens at Florida Panthers, 1 p.m. (NHL)
Buffalo Sabres at Washington Capitals, 3 p.m.
Vancouver Canucks at Winnipeg Jets, 3 p.m.
Utah Hockey Club at Chicago Blackhawks, 4 p.m.
Ottawa Senators at Pittsburgh Penguins, 5 p.m.
New York Islanders at Carolina Hurricanes, 5 p.m.
Toronto Maple Leafs at Anaheim Ducks, 8 p.m.
San Jose Sharks at Los Angeles Kings, 10 p.m. (ESPN)
Saturday's scoreboard
Philadelphia Flyers 7, Buffalo Sabres 4
Tampa Bay Lightning 5, New York Islanders 3
St. Louis Blues 2, Colorado Avalanche 1
New Jersey Devils 5, Minnesota Wild 2
Vegas Golden Knights 3, Nashville Predators 1
Ottawa Senators 3, Columbus Blue Jackets 2
Toronto Maple Leafs 3, Los Angeles Kings 1
Detroit Red Wings 2, Boston Bruins 1
Edmonton Oilers 3, Calgary Flames 2 (OT)
New York Rangers 6, San Jose Sharks 1
Dallas Stars 5, Seattle Kraken 1
Expanded standings
Atlantic Division
Toronto Maple Leafs
Points: 92
Regulation wins: 36
Playoff position: A1
Games left: 9
Points pace: 103.3
Next game: @ ANA (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Florida Panthers
Points: 91
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: A2
Games left: 10
Points pace: 103.6
Next game: vs. MTL (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Tampa Bay Lightning
Points: 91
Regulation wins: 37
Playoff position: A3
Games left: 9
Points pace: 102.2
Next game: @ NYI (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Ottawa Senators
Points: 83
Regulation wins: 30
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 10
Points pace: 94.5
Next game: @ PIT (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 99.6%
Tragic number: N/A
Montreal Canadiens
Points: 75
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 10
Points pace: 85.4
Next game: @ FLA (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 28%
Tragic number: 19
Detroit Red Wings
Points: 74
Regulation wins: 26
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 9
Points pace: 83.1
Next game: @ STL (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 2.3%
Tragic number: 16
Boston Bruins
Points: 69
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 76.5
Next game: vs. WSH (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 9
Buffalo Sabres
Points: 66
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 10
Points pace: 75.2
Next game: @ WSH (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 10
Metro Division
x - Washington Capitals
Points: 103
Regulation wins: 40
Playoff position: M1
Games left: 10
Points pace: 117.3
Next game: vs. BUF (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A
Carolina Hurricanes
Points: 92
Regulation wins: 39
Playoff position: M2
Games left: 10
Points pace: 104.8
Next game: vs. NYI (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
New Jersey Devils
Points: 85
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: M3
Games left: 7
Points pace: 92.9
Next game: vs. MIN (Monday)
Playoff chances: 97.9%
Tragic number: N/A
New York Rangers
Points: 77
Regulation wins: 32
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 8
Points pace: 85.3
Next game: vs. MIN (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 18.7%
Tragic number: N/A
Columbus Blue Jackets
Points: 75
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 10
Points pace: 85.4
Next game: vs. NSH (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 28.7%
Tragic number: 19
New York Islanders
Points: 74
Regulation wins: 25
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 10
Points pace: 84.3
Next game: @ CAR (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 24.7%
Tragic number: 18
Pittsburgh Penguins
Points: 69
Regulation wins: 20
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 76.5
Next game: vs. OTT (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 9
Philadelphia Flyers
Points: 69
Regulation wins: 19
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 7
Points pace: 75.4
Next game: vs. NSH (Monday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 7
Central Division
x - Winnipeg Jets
Points: 104
Regulation wins: 39
Playoff position: C1
Games left: 9
Points pace: 116.8
Next game: vs. VAN (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A
x - Dallas Stars
Points: 100
Regulation wins: 39
Playoff position: C2
Games left: 9
Points pace: 112.3
Next game: @ SEA (Monday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A
Colorado Avalanche
Points: 93
Regulation wins: 38
Playoff position: C3
Games left: 8
Points pace: 103.1
Next game: vs. CGY (Monday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Minnesota Wild
Points: 87
Regulation wins: 33
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 8
Points pace: 96.4
Next game: @ NJ (Monday)
Playoff chances: 96.5%
Tragic number: N/A
St. Louis Blues
Points: 87
Regulation wins: 30
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 7
Points pace: 95.1
Next game: vs. DET (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 89.8%
Tragic number: N/A
Utah Hockey Club
Points: 76
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 9
Points pace: 85.4
Next game: @ CHI (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 0.6%
Tragic number: 8
e - Nashville Predators
Points: 62
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 9
Points pace: 69.6
Next game: @ PHI (Monday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E
e - Chicago Blackhawks
Points: 51
Regulation wins: 18
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 9
Points pace: 57.3
Next game: vs. UTA (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E
Pacific Division
Vegas Golden Knights
Points: 98
Regulation wins: 42
Playoff position: P1
Games left: 9
Points pace: 110.1
Next game: vs. EDM (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Los Angeles Kings
Points: 89
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: P3
Games left: 10
Points pace: 101.4
Next game: vs. SJ (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Edmonton Oilers
Points: 89
Regulation wins: 30
Playoff position: P2
Games left: 9
Points pace: 100.0
Next game: @ VGK (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 95.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Vancouver Canucks
Points: 81
Regulation wins: 26
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 9
Points pace: 91.0
Next game: @ WPG (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 6.4%
Tragic number: 13
Calgary Flames
Points: 80
Regulation wins: 26
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 10
Points pace: 91.1
Next game: @ COL (Monday)
Playoff chances: 10.8%
Tragic number: 14
Anaheim Ducks
Points: 72
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 10
Points pace: 82.0
Next game: vs. TOR (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 6
e - Seattle Kraken
Points: 68
Regulation wins: 25
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 75.4
Next game: vs. DAL (Monday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E
e - San Jose Sharks
Points: 49
Regulation wins: 14
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 10
Points pace: 55.8
Next game: @ LA (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E
Note: An "x" means that the team has clinched a playoff berth. An "e" means that the team has been eliminated from playoff contention.
Race for the No. 1 pick
The NHL uses a draft lottery to determine the order of the first round, so the team that finishes in last place is not guaranteed the No. 1 selection. As of 2021, a team can move up a maximum of 10 spots if it wins the lottery, so only 11 teams are eligible for the No. 1 pick. Full details on the process are here. Matthew Schaefer, a defenseman for the OHL's Erie Otters, is No. 1 on the draft board.
1. San Jose Sharks
Points: 49
Regulation wins: 14
2. Chicago Blackhawks
Points: 51
Regulation wins: 18
3. Nashville Predators
Points: 62
Regulation wins: 23
4. Buffalo Sabres
Points: 66
Regulation wins: 24
5. Seattle Kraken
Points: 68
Regulation wins: 25
6. Philadelphia Flyers
Points: 69
Regulation wins: 19
7. Pittsburgh Penguins
Points: 69
Regulation wins: 20
8. Boston Bruins
Points: 69
Regulation wins: 23
9. Anaheim Ducks
Points: 72
Regulation wins: 23
10. Detroit Red Wings
Points: 74
Regulation wins: 26
11. New York Islanders
Points: 74
Regulation wins: 25
12. Columbus Blue Jackets
Points: 75
Regulation wins: 23
13. Montreal Canadiens
Points: 75
Regulation wins: 24
14. Utah Hockey Club
Points: 76
Regulation wins: 24
15. Calgary Flames
Points: 80
Regulation wins: 26
16. Vancouver Canucks
Points: 81
Regulation wins: 26
Ajax's director of football has opened the door to a possible return for Christian Eriksen when his Manchester United contract expires at the end of the season.
Marijn Beuker, who was appointed as Ajax's sporting director in 2023, confirmed the club's interest in the former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder in an interview with ESPN but said the 33-year-old's return could not block an academy player's path to the first team.
Eriksen joined Ajax's academy in 2008 and made his debut two years later at the age of 18. He spent three years in Amsterdam, winning the Eredvisie title in each of his three seasons and scoring 25 goals in 113 appearances.
He left to join Spurs in 2013 before spells at Inter Milan and Brentford followed. He joined United as a free agent in 2022.
"He is one of the players who has performed fantastically with us in the past that we are thinking about," Beuker told ESPN. "There will be multiples in the media. Other names mentioned are those of Dusan Tadic and Daley Blind.
"Such players are always an option. To look at it. It has to fit into the phase we are in, though. In the salary structure. You also don't want to block youth players coming up. That we are open to thinking about it is clear. Only it has to fit into the overall picture for the future."
Eriksen has said he expects to leave United at the end of the season as a new contract has not been forthcoming.
"I haven't been told anything and since I haven't, I assume the collaboration will end," he said in an interview to Danish outlet TV2.
"That's how I interpret it. Everyone knows my contract is expiring, so I expect there's only one way this will go.
"I haven't thought much about it. In my mind, I'm prepared to find something new. What that will be, I haven't decided yet.
"I don't have anything specific that I really want to try, so I'll see what comes along and what fits me and my family."
The Denmark international has made just 14 appearances in all competitions under United boss Ruben Amorim since his appointment in November.
Phone: (800) 737. 6040
Fax: (800) 825 5558
Website: 
Email: 
